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Thousands of working-class Trump Republicans flooded Washington on Thursday to celebrate a moment they never thought they’d see.

Brandon Maly, 17, of Tampa and Dan Schramik of St. Petersburg, Fla., react to Donald Trump's appearance at a free concert on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday, a day before Trump's inauguration. (Charlie Kaijo / The Associated Press)

WASHINGTON—Autoworker Allan Ptaszek wore his “Deplorable” button, the one that powerful people had said meant he was on the wrong side of history. But now he was at the Lincoln Memorial witnessing history, just as he knew he would even when his poker buddies in Michigan were laughing in his face.

Vivian Hall, a blue-collar worker in Florida, hitched an overnight van ride with strangers. People on social media had laughed at her, too, for months on end. Now the last laugh was hers, though she said she was more likely to cry.

Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States at about noon on Friday, completing his astonishing triumph over the “haters and losers” who doubted his every move. For his devotees, the inauguration is only barely less vindication.

Derided by Hillary Clinton, described as racists and fools by the pundits they distrust, dismissed by sophisticated number-crunchers as naively optimistic about their man’s chances — they had prevailed, and the country felt Thursday like it was theirs again.

They wore those red Make America Great Again caps and Drain the Swamp shirts, and a few of those sexist anti-Clinton shirts. It was like a Trump campaign rally, except now they run the swamp.

“This has been the election of the forgotten man,” said Ptaszek, 30, who drove all night after his shift at the plant and had not slept. “This was us protesting without protesting. We voted. We protested by going to the booths.”

Major protests by Trump opponents were scheduled around the country for Friday and Saturday. A Washington protest grew tense on Thursday as a small number of demonstrators lit street fires and threw objects at Trump supporters near an event connected to the bigoted “alt-right.” In New York City, thousands joined a peaceful “We Stand United” anti-Trump rally featuring the mayor and celebrities.

Meanwhile, big-money lobbyists and lawyers partied around Washington, and the affluent, connected and political were well represented among the thousands of Trump devotees who attended a pre-inauguration evening concert.

But there were also thousands of the working-class Trump Republicans who had never once thought of coming to the nation’s capital, let alone for a political event. They marvelled at the moment.

“I’ve never even met someone who’s been to an inauguration,” said Tyrus Cobb, 33, a truck driver from Indiana whose wife, Ashley, said she was eager for Trump to “bring God back to America.”

Protesters stand against a line of police guarding the front of the National Press Building ahead of the presidential inauguration, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Washington. (John Minchillo)

“This is the greatest event in American history. It’s a president for the people,” said Dennis Poer, 58, a painter in Illinois who said he admires Trump’s “honesty.”

Trump earned little support from members of ethnic and religious minority groups, and the Thursday crowd, which appeared more than 95 per cent white, bore no resemblance to the diverse throngs who flooded the city for Barack Obama’s inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.

The roster of performers also paled in comparison. Where Obama’s organizers lured a star-studded cast including Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen and U2, Trump had to settle for Toby Keith, Lee Greenwood and 3 Doors Down, all greeted with tepid cheers.

The feebleness of the party was another sign of Trump’s enduring divisiveness. After a scorched-earth campaign in which he deployed open bigotry and vitriol toward opponents of all political stripes, and then a transition in which he has been unwilling to abandon old grudges, the run-up to his inauguration was unusually rancorous.

Even the celebration began with bitter words. Actor Jon Voight, one of the president-elect’s few Hollywood supporters, railed against alleged anti-Trump “propaganda” and “lies.”

He then boasted again about how he had defied expectations. And he promised change — a stronger military and stronger borders, and “things that haven’t been done for our country for many, many decades.”

Addressing the “forgotten” men and women he said propelled him to victory, he declared: “You’re not forgotten anymore.”

Protesters cover their faces after being pepper sprayed following a scuffle outside the National Press Club ahead of the presidential inauguration, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Washington. (John Minchillo)

The capital was turned into a virtual fortress, with thousands of police officers. Security officials used buses and other large vehicles to prevent a hypothetical terror attack by moving vehicle.

More than 20 protest activities have been scheduled for Friday.

On Saturday, a women’s protest march is expected to draw between 200,000 and 500,000 people.

Police used chemical spray Thursday evening on protesters at the Washington demonstration against the “DeploraBall,” an unofficial event featuring Trump loyalists on the political fringe.

Some of the dissent was quieter. As Trump supporters began to line up for the pre-inauguration concert, a solo young man held up a profane sign that summarized the feeling of much of the country: “This is f----d up.”

Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump stand for the National Anthem during the "Make America Great Again Welcome Concert" at the Lincoln Memorial, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/ The Associated Press)

Trump, master showman, implausibly insisted that he didn’t care if A-listers fêted him. His supporters were more convincing, saying that the arrogance of entertainment elites was part of the reason Trump succeeded.

Plus, they were all there because of one former entertainer.

“I get to see change,” said Rick Philemon, 53, a hospital worker from Charlotte, N.C. “Real change, finally. And I want to be part of it.”

“This is probably going to be the biggest transformation in our government that I’m going to see in my lifetime,” said Scott Esmeier, 55, a construction worker in Arizona. “The old president was hope and change and got us nothing in eight years. I think this one’s really got what it takes.”

“Listen,” said his wife, Sandra, 54. “If it’s not successful, then in four years he’ll be gone.”

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